Turning toward winter

The wheel of the earth keeps turning. This is the wheel of the seasons, of the day, of a human lifetime, or of a year. Today I want to tell you about the turning of the wheel from the black of the west to the white of the north, from fall to winter, and how this ties in with my story of digging a hole.

As you may remember, the fall and west quadrant of the wheel is a time for introspection and turning inward; a time of self-discovery. This can be a time of quiet, stillness, and the power that comes from knowing oneself deeply. However, for those of us who have a tendency to get stuck in the west, self-doubt can be the dark side of the black of the west. For me, this manifests as questioning whether anyone would want to come to Monkey Valley for a vision fast. Questioning whether this world wants what I have to offer, values my gifts. Spiralling down into self-doubt can make me feel small and unwanted; reverberations from painful moments in childhood echoing forward through the years to the present.

Affirming that I do have valuable gifts to bring to my people is a way to move out of the self-doubt of the west and turn with the wheel as it swings around to the north and winter. The north is the place of service, of community, of gathering together to survive the perils of cold, limited food supply, and long dark days that don’t seem to have enough daylight hours for doing the chores (or going for a run!). In earlier times for the human race, especially in northern climates, it was absolutely essential that people band together for survival. But even today, we are completely interdependent, whether we are aware of it or not.

This is something I’ve come to realize while living at Monkey Valley. At this point I can’t grow my own food there, never mind make my own clothes. It would take months of work for me to cut my firewood using traditional tools. So I can’t provide myself with even the bare minimum of food and warmth without the help of my people. Not that this is a bad thing! For one of the wonderful things about being a human animal is the good feelings that come from companionship, affection, sharing, community.

And work… Which is a strong aspect of the north. Winter is the time for teaching, for repairing equipment, for sharing stories around the fire, for mending clothes and making new ones. Serving our people and preparing for the warm growing time to come. Digging a hole and putting up the Starshine Way sign is this kind of work. It is trusting that the warmth will come again. It is having confidence in offering my gifts to my people. It is a pledge to be there and show the way, the best I can, and help others find their own way. May it be so!

This entry was first published January 28, 2009. I’ve made a few edits and moved it to the first page to help potential buyers know a bit of the history of the place.

Monkey Valley is a self-sufficient, off-grid home and 160 acres. It is probably the most unique solar-powered home for sale in BC right now. It is a very private property located in the wilderness near Aspen Grove, BC, between Merritt and Princeton. The closest lakes are Kentucky Lake, Alleyne Lake, Loon Lake, and Missezula Lake. In fact, if you follow Shrimpton Creek south from the property line, Missezula Lake is less than a mile away. This very private property offers a sustainable, green home and acreage that you can live in year-round, or use as a vacation or recreational property. It is also an ideal investment property, as the land only increases in value and it is extremely rare to find such a private, pristine property so close to Vancouver and Kelowna. Rural land for sale is common enough, but to find a quarter section of fully fenced ranch land with no neighbouring properties is very unusual. The fencing, 5,000-square-foot barn, year-round creek, and grassland make it an ideal horse property. This remote acreage also has timber that can be logged, and it is surrounded by crown timber land. The 3-bedroom house is one-of-a-kind, blending an old-fashioned log cabin with a modern addition that offers all the comforts of solar power, cell phone service, and internet. The home, barn, and outbuildings are clad in country-style board-and-batten of Princeton fir. If you’re looking for creek-front real estate, you’ll love this home that’s more peaceful than most waterfront properties. Sound carries over water, so if you share a lake with neighbours, it’s never fully peaceful and quiet. This ecoproperty is the only land for sale near the Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park, and it is fully accessible for RVs. This could be a holiday property for a group of families who enjoy RVing in the wilderness. This unique character property is located at the north end of the Cascades foothills, in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.